Curtain fastener



May 24,1927. 1,629,603

J. VODICKA CURTAIN FASTENER Filed Feb. 20. 1924 disclosure;

Patented May 24, 1927.

umren STATES PATENT oF'FIcs..-

JOHN VODICKA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS} ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS T0 CINOI-I MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF ILLINOIS.

CHICAGO, rumors, A CORPORATION on CURTAIN- FASTENER.

Application filed February 20, 1924i SeriaI'No. 6935973;

The curtain fastener of my invention is particularly useful for securing the curtains of automobiles but may be used; in other cons nections as will appear from the following It is the object of my invention to-provide a cheap and durable curtain: fastener which may be readily applied without special tools to automobile curtains and the like and which will securely hold 7 the. curtains in place except. when manipulated for the purpose ofunfastening them. My improved curtain fastener is designed to be. used in connection with a headed post such as are frequently employed for the purpose and it is so constructed that'it may be applied to the post, in fastening the curtains, by simply bringing the post-receiving open ing in the fastener into alignment. with the post and then pressing it home and may be unfastened from the post by inserting; a finger beneath the edge of the curtain, and the edge of the fastener to. tilt the latter preliminary to drawing it off the head of the post. Other features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the follow ing specification taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming, a

part thereof. 1

In the drawings Figure 1 is a rear or inside view. of a curtain: fastener of my invention applied to the curtain, and Fig. 2 a vertical section thereof; F igs. 3 and 4, 5.and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10' are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, of somewhat different forms of the invention.

Each of the forms of my invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a catch plate in which is formed a postreceiving opening and which is-also formed orprovided with a resilient tongue the free end of which' extends into the area of the postreceiving opening so that" when the plate is forced over the head of the fastener post with. which it isdesigned to cooperate, the end of the tongue engages beneath the head of the post to prevent accidental or uninten tional' separation of the fastener from the post. may take any of a variety of forms or two Or more tongues may be employed. Preferably As willhereinafter appear the tongue 7 a front or face plate is used with: the catch plate, the two being placed respectively on opposite sidesof-themirtain: and' suitably interlocked.

Referring. nowto the form of the inven'ition shown in Figs. 1' and 2 thecurtain is indicated at 11 and, before the application ofthefastener is punched or perforated; at a suitable point as at 12, C6 register with a headedpost 13 (shown in dotted lines) with which the curtain fastener is to cooperate; The post, may be of a .well known form having-a screw shank 14- for securing. it to the framework of the automobile or other structure with: which the fastener is used, a collar 15, a head or button 16 and an intermediate neck -17.- Preferablyitlie headrof the post isrounded, as shown for convenience in applying the fastener thereto; a v I The front or face plate 1820f the fastener maybe varied somewhat in design and irrespective of the form of thecatch plate'with which it isassembled. In the form of the invention shown inv Figs; 1' and 2the front plate 18' isimperforat'e and flat except for therearwardly turned edge or flange'lQQ 'lin theformof the device shown in Figs. 8 and tthefront plate 18 is perforated orcutout at 2O at a point to providefor the headjof the post with which the fastener cooperates. A: similar front plateor housing is shown in Figs. 6- and 10, but in Fig. 8 I have shown a third form'thereof in which thereis an outwardebulge 21 to-makeroom for the head of the cooperating post. The front cover or face plateis formed or provided with means for attaching it to the catch plate, which in the forms: of the invention shown consist in tongues 22 formed integral with the flange of the face plate and projecting rearwardly therefrom.

The catch plate is of resilient sheet metal and is formed with an opening=23 therein for the reception of the head of the post with which the fastener cooperatesand provided with. a spring tongue as previously men tioned. In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the catch-plate. is provided-with a pair'of tongues'24,25 oppo sitely located witlrrespe'ct to the post hole 23. The tongue 24 is shorter and stifier than the tongue 25 and is preferably wedgeshaped as shown with the end of the wedge cut away at 27 on the arc of a circle. The tongue 25 is forked so as to embrace not only the post hole opening but the edges of the tongue 24, so that the tongues support each other against lateral strains. The connection between the tongue 25 and the body of the catch plate is reduced or narrowed to form the neck 28 between the tongue and the body of the plate, therefore providing greater resilience in the tongue. The catch plate is formed at suitable points around its periphery with solts 29 which correspond and register with the tongues 22.

In applying the fastener to a curtain a hole of suitable size for the passage of the head of the post is formed in the curtain and the front and back members of the fastener apply respectively to the front and back of the curtain, the post hole in the catch plate being made to register with the previously formed opening in the curtain. The catch plate is mounted with the more resilient tongue adjacent the edge of the curtain and the less resilient tongue away therefrom. After the front plate and catch plate have been placed in proper registry, on the opposite sides of the curtain, the parts of the fastener are pressed together to force the securing tongues 22 through the curtain into the slits formed in the catch plate, after which the tongues are bent over against the rear face of the catch plate to securely hold the two members of the fastener together. As will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 2 the tongues are bent slightly forward, the bend in the stiffer shorter tongue being at the free end, and that in the longer more yielding tongue at the neck portion thereof.

To engage the fastener with the headed post it is suflicient to merely bring the opening of the fastener into registrywith the head of the post and then press it against the latter until the tongues yield sufficiently to permit the head to pass. The post hole being of less diameter when the tongues are in normal position than the head of the post the tongues after passing the head engage beneath the same and resist any effort to slip the fastener off the post. In order to unfasten the curtain it is only necessary to insert the finger beneath the edge of the curtain and the adjacent edge of the fastener and press outwardly when the tongues and particularly the more flexible tongue yield permitting the head to pass through the opening.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 a single tongue 30 is cut from the catch plate by slitting the latter at 31, 32. The end of the tongueis curved at 33 and forms a portion of the periphery of the post hole 34. Asbest shown in Fig. 4. the

edge of the meta] about the posthole is bent or bulged outwardly at 35 on the side opposite the tongue. This configuration of the metal of the plate stiffens the fastener against strains tending to withdraw it from the head of the post except such as are applied by tilting the fastener outwardly or away from the frame at the edge of the fastener adjacent the tongue. The fastener is applied to the curtain and manipulated for fastening the curtain and unfastening it in the same manner as that form of the invention described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the resilient tongue 36 is formed from a separate piece of metal fromthe catch plate 37 and riveted or otherwise secured to the latter as at 38.' The resilient tongue is recessed at its end as at 39and extends slightly over the area of the post hole 40 formed in the catch plate. In this illustration of the invention the curtain is not perforated for the passage of the head of the post and in fact if there be sufficient room in the housing formed by the front plate 18 or if the housing is cut away opposite the post hole suflicieiitly it is not necessary to perforate the curtain in any of the forms of the invention. 1 The form of the fastener shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be applied to the curtain and manipulated in the same manner as'the other forms of the fastener previously described.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 two resilient tongues 41', 42 are cut from the sheet metal of the catch plate but the forms of the tongues differ some? what from those of Figsrl and 2. The tongues do not embrace or give side support to each other but are separated on the line 43 substantially perpendicular to the length of the tongues. The ends of the tongues are cut away toform the post hole openingtl. This form of the invention may be secured to the curtain and manipulated in the same manner as the previously described forms.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the catch plate 50 is mounted on the outside of the curtain, immediately beneath the cover plate 18 and may be secured thereto. The catch plate is shown as of the same construction as that of Figs. 3 and 4, having a single tongue 30. A back plate 51 is provided with this form of device between which and the catch plate 30 the fabric of the curtain is secured. Preferably, the back plate is also formed with a resilient tongue 52 of approximately the same shape as the tongue 30 of the catch plate but shorter, so that said tongue stifiens the tongue of the catch plate but yields therewith and does not engage the fastener post. The parts may be secured together as in the other forms of the invention by lugs 22 formed on the cover plate, extending through the catch plate, the curtain and the back plate and bent over upon the latter.

1 claim:

1. A curtain fastener for use With a headed post, comprising a catch plate having a pair of resilient tongues formed therefrom, the end portions of both of the tongues being recessed to form a post hole between them, one of said tongues being extended on opposite sides of its recess and embracing the end of the other of said tongues.

'2. A curtain fastener for use With a headed post comprising a plate of resilient metal cut to form a pair of resilient tongues, one of said tongues being relatively short and stiff and the other of said tongues relatively long and yielding the adjacent ends of said tongues being cut away to form a post'hole.

3. A curtain fastener for use With a headed post comprising a plate of resilient sheet metal so cut as to form a relatively still tongue and a relatively yielding tongue, one of said tongues being bifurcated at its ends to embrace the other and a post hole formed between said tongues.

JOHN VODICKA. 

